diff --git a/avatar/models.py b/avatar/models.py
index c428d5c..da97e49 100644
--- a/avatar/models.py
+++ b/avatar/models.py
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from avatar import AVATAR_STORAGE_DIR, AVATAR_RESIZE_METHOD, \
                    AVATAR_MAX_AVATARS_PER_USER, AVATAR_THUMB_FORMAT, \
-                   AVATAR_HASH_USERDIRNAMES, AVATAR_HASH_FILENAMES, \
-                   AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
+                   AVATAR_HASH_USERDIRNAMES, AVATAR_HASH_FILENAMES
 
 def avatar_file_path(instance=None, filename=None, size=None, ext=None):
     tmppath = [AVATAR_STORAGE_DIR]
@@ -59,25 +58,6 @@ def find_extension(format):
         format = 'jpg'
 
     return format
-    
-def get_primary_avatar(user, size=80):
-    if not isinstance(user, User):
-        try:
-            user = User.objects.get(username=user)
-        except User.DoesNotExist:
-            return AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
-    avatars = user.avatar_set.order_by('-date_uploaded')
-    primary = avatars.filter(primary=True)
-    if primary.count() > 0:
-        avatar = primary[0]
-    elif avatars.count() > 0:
-        avatar = avatars[0]
-    else:
-        avatar = None
-    if avatar:
-        if not avatar.thumbnail_exists(size):
-            avatar.create_thumbnail(size)
-    return avatar
 
 class Avatar(models.Model):
     user = models.ForeignKey(User)
diff --git a/avatar/templatetags/avatar_tags.py b/avatar/templatetags/avatar_tags.py
index b0928be..e97a490 100644
--- a/avatar/templatetags/avatar_tags.py
+++ b/avatar/templatetags/avatar_tags.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ from django.utils.hashcompat import md5_constructor
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 
 from avatar.models import get_primary_avatar
-from avatar import AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL, AVATAR_GRAVATAR_BACKUP
-from avatar import AVATAR_GRAVATAR_DEFAULT
+from avatar import AVATAR_GRAVATAR_BACKUP, AVATAR_GRAVATAR_DEFAULT
+from avatar.util import get_default_avatar_url
 
 register = template.Library()
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def avatar_url(user, size=80):
                 md5_constructor(user.email).hexdigest(),
                 urllib.urlencode(params))
         else:
-            return AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
+            return get_default_avatar_url()
 register.simple_tag(avatar_url)
 
 def avatar(user, size=80):
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def avatar(user, size=80):
             alt = unicode(user)
             url = avatar_url(user, size)
         except User.DoesNotExist:
-            url = AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
+            url = get_default_avatar_url()
             alt = _("Default Avatar")
     else:
         alt = unicode(user)
diff --git a/avatar/tests.py b/avatar/tests.py
index 649bacd..249c784 100644
--- a/avatar/tests.py
+++ b/avatar/tests.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test.client import Client
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
+from django.conf import settings
+from avatar import AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
 
 try:
     from PIL import Image
@@ -65,6 +67,18 @@ class AvatarUploadTests(TestCase):
         f.close()
         self.failUnlessEqual(response.status_code, 200)
         self.failIfEqual(response.context['upload_avatar_form'].errors, {})
+    
+    def testDefaultUrl(self):
+        response = self.client.get(reverse('avatar_render_primary', kwargs={
+            'user': self.user.username,
+            'size': 80,
+        }))
+        loc = response['Location']
+        base_url = getattr(settings, 'STATIC_URL', None)
+        if not base_url:
+            base_url = settings.MEDIA_URL
+        self.assertTrue(base_url in loc)
+        self.assertTrue(loc.endswith(AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL))
         
     # def testTooManyAvatars
     # def testReplaceAvatarWhenMaxIsOne
diff --git a/avatar/util.py b/avatar/util.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..528e8af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/avatar/util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+
+from avatar import AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
+
+def get_default_avatar_url():
+    base_url = getattr(settings, 'STATIC_URL', None)
+    if not base_url:
+        base_url = getattr(settings, 'MEDIA_URL', '')
+    # We'll be nice and make sure there are no duplicated forward slashes
+    ends = base_url.endswith('/')
+    begins = AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL.startswith('/')
+    if ends and begins:
+        base_url = base_url[:-1]
+    elif not ends and not begins:
+        return '%s/%s' % (base_url, AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL)
+    return '%s%s' % (base_url, AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL)
+
+def get_primary_avatar(user, size=80):
+    if not isinstance(user, User):
+        try:
+            user = User.objects.get(username=user)
+        except User.DoesNotExist:
+            return get_default_avatar_url()
+    avatars = user.avatar_set.order_by('-date_uploaded')
+    primary = avatars.filter(primary=True)
+    if primary.count() > 0:
+        avatar = primary[0]
+    elif avatars.count() > 0:
+        avatar = avatars[0]
+    else:
+        avatar = None
+    if avatar:
+        if not avatar.thumbnail_exists(size):
+            avatar.create_thumbnail(size)
+    return avatar
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/avatar/views.py b/avatar/views.py
index f0a894d..293ea73 100644
--- a/avatar/views.py
+++ b/avatar/views.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ from django.db.models import get_app
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.conf import settings
 
-from avatar import AVATAR_MAX_AVATARS_PER_USER, AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL
+from avatar import AVATAR_MAX_AVATARS_PER_USER
+from avatar.util import get_default_avatar_url
 
 try:
     notification = get_app('notification')
@@ -175,5 +176,6 @@ def render_primary(request, extra_context={}, user=None, size=80, *args, **kwarg
         # the CDN store those files instead
         return HttpResponseRedirect(avatar.avatar_url(size))
     else:
-        return HttpResponseRedirect(AVATAR_DEFAULT_URL)
+        url = get_default_avatar_url()
+        return HttpResponseRedirect(url)
     
diff --git a/tests/settings.py b/tests/settings.py
index 73ca330..20e95b2 100644
--- a/tests/settings.py
+++ b/tests/settings.py
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ DATABASE_ENGINE = 'sqlite3'
 DATABASE_NAME = ':memory:'
  
 ROOT_URLCONF = 'settings'
- 
+
+STATIC_URL = '/site_media/static/'
+
 SITE_ID = 1
 
 INSTALLED_APPS = (